Facade

who’s going to dress the models and supervise the makeup and…?”
    “Maia’s here, Nicky,” Tanna answered resolutely. “You told her everything that needs to be done, right?” Nicky nodded.
    “Let’s go home, okay?” Jonas pulled Nicky closer and kissed his temple. “Let me make sure you can sleep,” he whispered, and Nicky giggled. Jonas was on to something and had an envelope with the results of Nicky’s second batch of blood tests in his pocket to aid in the celebration. He had meant to save them for after the opening, but maybe they could start a little early.
    Their ever-reliable driver picked them up, and Nicky started their lovemaking in the limo, like he always did. Only this time he felt heavy in Jonas’s arms, and soon his actions went from sluggish to non-existent. Jonas could hardly believe how effortless it was.
    Now all he had to do was stay awake himself until they got home.
    Jonas startled when their driver discreetly woke him up.
    “We’re here, angel,” Jonas said, gently shaking Nicky. Nicky barely opened his eyes and let himself be led into the house and up the stairs.
    Once they were inside their bedroom, Nicky turned around and flopped himself into Jonas’s arms. “Fuck, I want to make love to you so badly,”

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    Zahra
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    “Later,” Jonas soothed him. He started undressing Nicky, and Nicky took this as a sign that Jonas wanted more than sleep.
    “Fuck me, fuck me now.”
    Nicky’s voice was lazy and sleepy, so Jonas didn’t argue. He simply took his own clothes off and directed Nicky into bed with the sole objective of getting them both horizontal before Nicky collapsed. Nicky’s hands found their prize object, though, and started stroking Jonas’s cock. Just as Jonas was getting quite turned on, the stroking stopped, and Jonas sighed in frustration. Nicky was sound asleep in his arms. The celebration was going to have to wait.

    BY THE time the shop was ready to open its doors, there were so many people standing in the street they were blocking the entire road. Tanna calmly called the police to inform them of the problem and let them take over, instead focusing on the goings-on inside the shop. Nicky was dead nervous, but after his afternoon nap, clearly ready to rock ‘n’ roll. The shop girls were fully made up and individually checked by Nicky to make sure they had the perfect look, and the models were wearing parts of Nicky’s new haute couture collection to showcase for the opening.
    They actually managed to be ready ahead of time.
    “What do you think?” Tanna asked. “Shall we let them in?”
    “That depends,” Nicky answered with a smile. “Is Karl Lagerfeld here already?”
    “Of course not,” Maia answered. “Mr. Lagerfeld will be fashionably late.”
    “Then I think we should open fashionably late as well,” Nicky replied.
    “You’re not going to wait for him, I hope?” Maia laughed, her arm wrapped around Tanna’s minute waist.
    “Oh, no, but there aren’t quite enough people waiting outside yet,” Nicky giggled. “After all, we only get to make a splash once!

    Façade
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    Let’s have our own celebration before we let everyone else in.” Nicky looked at Jonas, gesturing in the direction of a small bottle of excellent champagne. The larger bottles would be used for the official opening, but for now, the four of them were going to share a glass of bubbly for their own private little shindig.
    Jonas opened the bottle as if he was a professional sommelier.
    After all, he was a well trained professional, and there were only so many ways to impress prospective clients. Opening expensive champagne to preserve as much of the flavor as possible, in other words, without popping the cork, was something Jonas had learned early on in his career. He filled the four glasses and handed the ladies one each before giving the last one to Nicky.
    “To a successful flag store,” Jonas said quietly so only the four of them could hear. He raised his glass before taking Nicky in his arms and kissing his neck, careful not to muss Nicky’s discreet but flawless make-up. He let go almost immediately, not wanting to rumple Nicky’s avant-garde suit. “You look amazing, angel,” he whispered into Nicky’s ear. Nicky stayed close to him, clearly enjoying the proximity.
    “Do you like what Maia made for me?” Nicky asked, unusually coy.
    “I do. It doesn’t look like a costume for once. No ruffles and no excess. Very stylish, but still